The Fedora Project has launched a new version of the Fedora distribution. The new release, version 22, offers users three separate product lines, each tailored to a specific environment. These three product branches are called Workstation (for desktop use and developers), Server (for traditional server deployments) and Cloud (a minimal image for quick deployments). "We are proud to announce the official release of Fedora 22, the community-driven and community-built operating system now available in Cloud, Server, and Workstation editions. Fedora 22 has built on the foundation we laid with Fedora 21 and the work to create distinct editions of Fedora focused on the desktop, server and cloud. It's not radically different, but there are a fair amount of new features coupled with features we've already introduced but have improved for Fedora 22." The new Workstation release introduces more flexible firewall technology for developers while the Server edition offers XFS as the default file system and a central management console called Cockpit. Fedora Cloud allows administrators to perform atomic upgrades and rollback package updates for the entire system. See the release announcement and release notes for more details. Download (torrents): Fedora-Live-Workstation-x86_64-22-3.iso (1,365MB, SHA256, torrent, pkglist), Fedora-Server-DVD-x86_64-22.iso (2,115MB, SHA256, torrent). Live DVD images featuring alternative desktops and special use cases are available from the Fedora Spins page.

Dennis Gilmore has announced the availability of the beta release of Fedora 22: "The Fedora 22 beta release has arrived, with a preview of the latest free and open source technology under development." The beta release announcement is almost an exact copy of the alpha announcement published last month, with one or two minor modifications; it lists the following changes in the "Workstation" edition's appearance and under-the-covers section: "The Nautilus file manager has been improved to use GActions, from the deprecated GtkAction APIs, for a better, more consistent experience; GNOME Shell has a refreshed theme for better usability; the Qt/Adwaita theme is now code-complete, and Qt notifications have been improved for smoother experience using Qt-based applications in Workstation; the libinput library is now used for both X11 and Wayland for consistent input device handling." Download: Fedora-Live-Workstation-x86_64-22_Beta-3.iso (1,378MB, SHA256, torrent, pkglist). Separate live DVD images with KDE (using Plasma 5), LXDE, MATE and Xfce desktops are also available.

Dennis Gilmore has announced the availability of the initial alpha build of Fedora 22: "The Fedora 22 Alpha release has arrived, with a preview of the latest free and open source technology under development." The release announcement provides a detailed introduction to the release; here are a few points of interest from the workstation section: "The GNOME Shell notification system has been redesigned and subsumed into the calendar widget; the terminal now notifies you when a long running job completes; the login screen now uses Wayland by default; installation of GStreamer codecs, fonts, and certain document types is now handled by Software, instead of GNOME PackageKit; the Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) now features better notifications, and uses the privacy control panel in GNOME to control information sent...." Here is the download link to the workstation edition: Fedora-Live-Workstation-x86_64-22_Alpha-3.iso (1,459MB, SHA256, torrent, pkglist). Separate live DVD images with KDE, LXDE, MATE and Xfce desktops are also available.

Matthew Miller has announced the release of Fedora 21, the latest stable version of Red Hat's community distribution for desktops, servers and the cloud: "The Fedora Project is pleased to announce the release of Fedora 21, ready to run on your desktops, servers and in the cloud. Fedora 21 is a game-changer for the Fedora Project, and we think you're going to be very pleased with the results. As part of the Fedora.next initiative, Fedora 21 comes in three flavors: Cloud, Server, and Workstation. The Fedora Workstation is a new take on desktop development from the Fedora community. Our goal is to pick the best components, and integrate and polish them. This work results in a more polished and targeted system than you've previously seen from the Fedora desktop." Read the release announcement and release notes for detailed information about the release. Download (mirrors, torrents, pkglist): Fedora-Live-Workstation-x86_64-21-5.iso (1,404MB, SHA256, torrent), Fedora-Server-DVD-x86_64-21.iso (1,953MB, SHA256, torrent). Live DVD images with KDE, LXDE, MATE and Xfce desktops are also available.

Dennis Gilmore has announced the availability of the beta release of Fedora 21, the upcoming new version of the popular Red Hat-sponsored community distribution: "The Fedora 21 beta release is here, and - as usual - is packed with amazing improvements to Fedora, as well as fantastic free and open source software, gently harvested for your enjoyment. As part of the Fedora.next initiative, Fedora 21 will boast three products: Cloud, Server, and Workstation." Highlights of the "Workstation" edition include: "Fedora 21 Workstation includes the latest GNOME desktop. Fedora 21 is tracking GNOME 3.14, which was released in September. GNOME 3.14 includes many new features such as integration of Picasaweb and DNLA media server support in GNOME Photos, a new game called Hitori similar to Sudoku, and much more. A Wayland technology preview is included in this release for GNOME." Here is the full release announcement. Download the "Workstation" edition from here: Fedora-Live-Workstation-x86_64-21_Beta-4.iso (1,345MB, SHA256, pkglist). Live DVD images with KDE, LXDE, MATE and Xfce desktops are also available.

Dennis Gilmore has announced the availability of the much-delayed alpha release of Fedora 21. This comes almost exactly one year since the project's last alpha release - that of Fedora 20, released on 24 September 2013. From the release announcement: "The Fedora 21 Alpha release has arrived, with a preview of the latest free and open source technology under development. As part of the Fedora.next initiative, Fedora 21 will boast three products: Cloud, Server and Workstation. Note that for the alpha release, the network installers act as generic, 'universal' installers, offering the entire set of Fedora package groups by default, rather than only the groups associated with the product they are meant to represent. Each of the products will build on the 'base' set of packages for Fedora." Download the workstation edition from here: Fedora-Live-Workstation-x86_64-21_Alpha-1.iso (1,328MB, SHA256, pkglist). Live DVD images with KDE, LXDE and Xfce desktops are also available.

Kevin Fenzi has announced that the delayed alpha release of Fedora 20 is now ready for testing - complete with Linux kernel 3.11, GNOME 3.10, KDE 4.11, ARM as a primary architecture, NetworkManager improvements and many other goodies: "The Fedora 20 'Heisenbug' alpha release has arrived with a preview of the latest fantastic, free, and open source technology currently under development. The Fedora 20 release coincides nicely with the 10th anniversary of Fedora. The first Fedora release (then called Fedora Core 1) came out on November 6, 2003. Since then, the Fedora Project has become an active and vibrant community that produces nearly a dozen "spins" that are tailor made for desktop users, hardware design, gaming, musicians, artists, and early classroom environments." See the release announcement for a full list of new features and other details. Download (torrents, SHA256): Fedora-Live-Desktop-x86_64-20-Alpha-4.iso (960MB, torrent), Fedora-Live-KDE-x86_64-20-Alpha-4.iso (921MB, torrent).

Robyn Bergeron has announced the availability of Fedora 19, the new stable version of the Red Hat-sponsored community distribution of Linux: "The Fedora Project is delighted to announce the release of Fedora 19. What's new? Developer's Assistant is a tool for new developers that helps you to get started on a code project by offering templates, samples, and toolchains for a variety of languages; 3D modelling and printing are supported with OpenSCAD, Skeinforge, SFACT, Printrun, RepetierHost, and other tool options; OpenShift Origin makes it easy for you to build your own Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) infrastructure; MariaDB offers a truly open MySQL implementation and is now the default MySQL option in Fedora...." Read the release announcement and check out the detailed release notes to learn more. Download (mirrors, torrents): Fedora-Live-Desktop-x86_64-19-1.iso (951MB, SHA256, torrent), Fedora-Live-KDE-x86_64-19-1.iso (878MB, SHA256, torrent).

Dennis Gilmore has announced the alpha release of Fedora 19, the first development build of the popular Red Hat-sponsored Linux distribution: "The Fedora 19 'Schrödinger's Cat' alpha release has arrived with a preview of the latest fantastic, free, and open-source technology currently under development." Some of the more interesting features of this release include: "Developer's Assistant - a tool that helps you to get started on a code project with templates, samples and toolchains for the languages of your choice; Syslinux optional boot tool integration brings simplified booting; systemd Resource Control lets you modify service settings without a reboot; GNOME 3.8; KDE Plasma Workspaces 4.10, MATE Desktop 1.6..." Read the full release announcement for more details. Download (torrents, SHA256): Fedora-Live-Desktop-x86_64-19-Alpha-1.iso (997MB, torrent), Fedora-Live-KDE-x86_64-19-Alpha-1.iso (888MB, torrent), Fedora-Live-XFCE-x86_64-19-Alpha-1.iso (755MB, torrent).

Fedora 18, the latest stable version of the Red Hat-sponsored community distribution of Linux, has finally arrived: "The Fedora project is incredibly delighted to announce the release of Fedora 18. What's new? The user interface for Fedora's installation software, Anaconda, has been completely re-written from the ground up. Making its debut in Fedora 18, the new UI introduces major improvements to the installation experience. It uses a hub-and-spoke model that makes installation easier for new users, offering them concise explanations about their choices. Advanced users and system administrators are of course still able to take advantage of more complex options. The general look and feel of the installation experience has been vastly upgraded, providing modern, clean, and comprehensible visuals during the process." See the release announcement and release notes for a detailed description of new features. Download (mirrors, torrents): Fedora-18-x86_64-Live-Desktop.iso (916MB, SHA256, torrent), Fedora-18-x86_64-Live-KDE.iso (831MB, SHA256, torrent).

The much-delayed beta release of Fedora 18 is finally ready for testing: "The Fedora project team is excited to announce the beta release of its free, fully-functional Linux operating system, Fedora 18, code-named 'Spherical Cow.' Explore what's new in the Fedora 18 beta, including these highlighted release features: Fedora 18 offers a brand-new version of the GNOME desktop, version 3.6, straight from the upstream development process; updates have also been made to the KDE, Xfce and Sugar desktop environments; additionally, the MATE desktop is available for the first time in Fedora; Fedora's new installer user interface enhances the anaconda installer with improvements in ease of use and installation." Read the full press release for more details. Download (torrents): Fedora-18-Beta-i686-Live-Desktop.iso (757MB, SHA256, torrent), Fedora-18-Beta-x86_64-Live-Desktop.iso (786MB, SHA256, torrent). Live images featuring KDE, LXDE, Xfce and SoaS (Sugar on a Stick), as well as installation DVDs, are also available.

The delayed alpha build of Fedora 18 has been released: "The Fedora 18 'Spherical Cow' alpha release is plumping up! This release offers a preview of some of the best free and open-source technology currently under development. Features: NetworkManager hotspots improve the ability to use a computer's WiFi adapter to create a network hot spot; the redesigned installation system adds flexibility to the installation process while simplifying the user interface; desktop updates galore - GNOME 3.6, KDE Plasma Workspace 4.9, Xfce 4.10, Sugar 0.98, and the introduction of the MATE Desktop in Fedora." Read the release announcement and release notes for more information. Download (torrents): Fedora-18-Alpha-i686-Live-Desktop.iso (747MB, SHA256, torrent), Fedora-18-Alpha-x86_64-Live-Desktop.iso (775MB, SHA256, torrent). Live images featuring KDE, LXDE, Xfce and SoaS (Sugar on a Stick), as well as installation DVDs, are also available.

Jesse Keating has announced the availability of the beta release of Fedora 13: The beta release is the last important milestone of Fedora 13. Only critical bug fixes will be pushed as updates leading up to the general release of Fedora 13, scheduled to be released in the middle of May. A universe of new features for end users: automatic print driver installation; desktop enhancements - the Shotwell photo manager, Deja-dup backup software, Pino Identi.ca / Twitter client, and Simple Scan scanning utility; NetworkManager improvements include better Mobile Broadband, Bluetooth, and new CLI abilities; color management; enhanced iPod functionality; experimental 3D graphics support extended to free Nouveau driver for NVIDIA cards...." Read the release announcement and see feature list for more information. Download (torrents): F13-Beta-i686-Live.iso (931MB, SHA256, torrent), F13-Beta-i686-Live-KDE.iso (698MB, SHA256, torrent), F13-Beta-x86_64-Live.iso (941MB, SHA256, torrent), F13-Beta-x86_64-Live-KDE.iso (699MB, SHA256, torrent).

Jesse Keating has announced that Fedora 12 Beta is ready for testing: "We have reached the Fedora 12 Beta, the last important development milestone of Fedora 12. Only critical bug fixes will be pushed as updates leading up to the general release of Fedora 12, scheduled to be released in mid-November. What's new? Optimized performance, smaller and faster updates, NetworkManager broadband and other enhancements, next-generation (Ogg) Theora video, graphics support improvements, automatic reporting of crashes and SELinux issues, new Dracut initrd generation tool, PackageKit plugins, Bluetooth on-demand, Moblin graphical interface for netbooks, PulseAudio enhancements...." Read the rest of the release announcement for more details. Download: F12-Beta-i686-Live.iso (663MB, SHA1, torrent), F12-Beta-i686-Live-KDE.iso (695MB, SHA1, torrent), F12-Beta-x86_64-Live.iso (665MB, SHA1, torrent), F12-Beta-x86_64-Live-KDE.iso (700MB, SHA1, torrent).

The Fedora project has announced the release of Fedora 10: "The Fedora Project, a Red Hat sponsored and community-supported open source collaboration project, today announced the availability of Fedora 10, the latest version of its free, open source operating system distribution. This release includes the premiere of a new graphical boot system called Plymouth, designed to speed up the boot process by taking advantage of a new kernel mode setting feature. Fedora 10 also features increased hardware support for a vast array of webcams, and better handling of printers via both direct physical connections and networks. Further, PackageKit, a software management tool that originally debuted in Fedora 9, has been extended in this release to provide on-demand codec software installation." Read the press release and check out the detailed release notes for more information. Download (mirror list): F10-i686-Live.iso (681MB, SHA1, torrent), F10-i686-Live-KDE.iso (679MB, SHA1, torrent), F10-x86_64-Live.iso (684MB, SHA1, torrent), F10-x86_64-Live-KDE.iso (684MB, SHA1, torrent).

Jesse Keating has announced the availability of the beta release of Fedora 10: "Fedora 10 Beta: Cambridge's foundations are laid. Just on the heels of the Fedora project's fifth anniversary, the beta of Fedora Linux version 10 (code-named Cambridge) is now available. Among the new, fun, and interesting features: new NetworkManager with connection sharing; improved printer handling; Sectool, an auditing and security testing framework; RPM 4.6, the first big RPM change in several years; new version of PackageKit for managing software, with more fixes and enhancements; new version of PulseAudio; kernel 2.6.27, including better support for WiFi; new icon theme 'Echo', to be completed with the theme graphic 'Solar' in the Fedora 10 release; GNOME 2.24; KDE 4.1; automatic installation of multimedia codecs...." Read the rest of the release announcement for further details. Quick links to download the installable live CDs: F10-Beta-i686-Live.iso (697MB, SHA1, torrent), F10-Beta-x86_64-Live.iso (670MB, SHA1, torrent).

Jesse Keating announced the availability of the release of Fedora 9 Preview: "After some minor delays (like all rawhide flights grounded for a few days of repair...), the Fedora Project is proud to announce the release of Fedora 9 Preview! This is a Preview release, it is fairly close to what the final product will be like. This is the most critical release for the Fedora community to use and test and report bugs on. This is the last major public release before the final GOLD Fedora 9 release on May 13th (we hope). For this Preview release, we will be doing a staged offering. The first stage, available now, will be via bittorrent. The second stage, which should be available early next week, will be via our world wide mirroring system, and will include jigdo." Read the complete release announcement for more details. Live images, KDE Live images, CDs and DVD options are available via BitTorrent. Download the desktop live CDs via BitTorrent: Fedora-9-Preview-i686-Live.iso (687MB), Fedora-9-Preview-x86_64-Live.iso (702MB).

Jesse Keating has announced the availability of the beta release of Fedora 9. Highlights: "GNOME 2.22, with new features like a helpful world time clock, better file system performance, security improvements, power management at the login screen, the ability to dynamically configure displays, better Bluetooth integration; KDE 4.0.2, which includes a brand new desktop and panel with many new concepts; Firefox 3 Beta 5 featuring a native look and feel; support for resizing ext2, ext3 and NTFS partitions during install; support for creating and installing to encrypted file systems; PackageKit, a cross-distribution package management solution with a yum backend; kernel 2.6.25-rc5." Read the complete release announcement for more details. The installation DVD and live CD images are available for download from Fedora download mirrors or via BitTorrent; quick links to the desktop live CDs for i386 and x86_64 architectures: Fedora-9-Beta-Live-i686.iso (696MB, SHA1, torrent), Fedora-9-Beta-Live-x86_64.iso (708MB, SHA1, torrent).

Jesse Keating has announced the availability of Fedora 9 Alpha, the first development release of Fedora 9: "A funny thing happened on the way into the office today, an Alpha release of Fedora 9 happened!" The new release features Linux kernel 2.6.24, support for resizing ext2, ext3 and NTFS partitions in the Anaconda installer, faster X window system; GNOME 2.21 with GVFS and GIO as a replacement for GNOME VFS, KDE 4.0 as the default KDE with compatibility packages to ensure applications not yet ported to KDE 4 will continue to work, Firefox 3 Beta 2 with desktop integration, the new Places replacement for bookmarks and a re-worked address bar, PackageKit - a cross-distribution package management solution with a complete yum backend, and a number of other improvements. See the release announcement and release notes for a detailed list of new features. Download: Fedora-9-Alpha-Live-i686.iso (698MB, SHA1, torrent), Fedora-9-Alpha-Live-x86_64.iso (745MB, SHA1, torrent). KDE live CD/DVD images, as well as the traditional installation media are also available.

Fedora 8 has been released: "Announcing the release of Fedora 8 (Werewolf). This release includes significant new versions of many key components and technologies. Features: GNOME 2.20; Online Desktop; KDE 3.5.8; Xfce 4.4.1; NetworkManager 0.7 provides improved wireless network management support; PulseAudio is now installed and enabled by default; CodecBuddy is now included; CompizFusion, the compositing window manager that re-merges Compiz and Beryl, is installed by default; the completely free and open source Java environment called IcedTea is installed by default...." Learn more about all the features in the release summary and release notes. The installation DVD and live CD/DVD images are available for download via BitTorrent or directly from Fedora's download mirrors. Quick links: Fedora-8-dvd-i386 (3,369MB), Fedora-8-dvd-x86_64 (3,800MB), Fedora-8-Live-i686.iso (697MB, SHA1), Fedora-8-Live-x86_64.iso (767MB, SHA1).

Jeremy Katz has announced the third test release of Fedora 8: "Fedora 8 Test 3 is here! This is the last test release before the development freeze and a great time to test all those packages that you know and love. Changes from Fedora 8 Test 2: Online Desktop provides a desktop experience designed around online services; package management now features much better performance via yum and friends; the completely free and open source Java environment called Iced Tea is installed by default; CodecBuddy is now included, and promotes free, superior quality, open formats to end users trying to play multimedia content under patent encumbered or proprietary formats; Eclipse 3.3 (Europa), a new release of the great IDE and development platform, is available as part of this release; NetworkManager 0.7 provides improved wireless network management support...." Read the complete release announcement for more information. Download the combined live and installation CD/DVD images via BitTorrent: Fedora-7.92-Live-i686.iso (696MB), Fedora-7.92-Live-x86_64.iso (756MB).

Jesse Keating has announced the second test release of Fedora 8: "This is the second test release of the Fedora 8 release, which is scheduled for November 8, 2007." Both the release announcement and the release notes are sketchy about the changes in this release, but we know that it does include the latest release candidate of GNOME 2.20, a release candidate of kernel 2.6.23, a new system logging daemon called Rsyslog, and PulseAudio - an advanced sound server which is compatible with nearly all existing Linux sound systems and allows for hot-switching audio outputs. If you are interested in helping to beta test this release, please download the installation DVD and live CD images from these mirrors sites or get them via BitTorrent: Fedora-8-Test-2-i386.iso (2,885MB), Fedora-8-Test-2-x86_64.iso (3,427MB).

Jesse Keating has announced the release of Fedora 8 Test 1, the first development build of a brand new version of the popular distribution: "We interrupt your rawhide for a moment to make a small announcement. Fedora 8 Test one has been loosed upon the world. Included in this release is a 'Fedora' installable 'choose your own adventure' style set of ISOs and trees for i386, x86_64, and ppc(64). Also included are live images of both the Fedora Desktop and the Fedora KDE desktop. These are available for both i686 and x86_64 (x86_64 is DVD size only). Remember these can be used on USB media via the livecd-iso-to-disk utility available in the livecd-tools package. Test 1 is for 'alpha' users." Here is the full release announcement. The installation and live CD/DVD images are available for download from these FTP/HTTP servers and also via BitTorrent: Fedora-8-Test-1-i386 (2,835MB), Fedora-8-Test-1-x86_64 (3,405MB). Happy testing!

The Fedora Project has announced the release of Fedora 7, code name "Moonshine": "Howdy, cousins! Welcome to our little Fedora hollow, where we've brewed up some mighty, mighty Fedora 7 Moonshine for your enjoyment." The latest version of the popular distribution comes with a number of new features, including "spins", or variations of Fedora built from a specific set of software packages, the latest GNOME 2.18 and KDE 3.5.6 desktops, fast user switching, improved internationalisation support, a new SELinux troubleshooting tool, significantly faster package management utilities, a new kernel-based virtual machine technology, and many other enhancements. Please read the release announcement and consult the release notes for detailed information. A range of installation and live CD/DVD images of Fedora 7 are available for download from public mirrors and also via BitTorrent; get the DVD torrents from here: F-7-i386-DVD.iso (2,766MB), F-7-x86_64-DVD.iso (3,288MB).

Will Woods has announced the availability of the fourth and final test release of Fedora 7: "The Fedora Project is pleased to announce the release of the fourth and final test release of Fedora 7! Release notes: This test release includes three live images - an i386 Desktop live CD, an x86_64 Desktop live DVD, and an i386 KDE live CD; this test release features GNOME 2.18; the new Echo icon theme is no longer the default; KDE and Xfce, among several other packages, are included in the development repositories, but not on the media; Fast User Switching is now available; the Internet messaging program called 'Gaim' is now known as 'Pidgin'...." Read the release announcement and release notes for more details. The new test CD/DVD images are available for download from Fedora mirrors and also via BitTorrent; quick links to the installable live images: F-6.93-i386-Live.iso (693MB, SHA1), F-6.93-x86_64-Live.iso (778MB, SHA1).

Jeremy Katz has announced the availability of the third test release of Fedora 7: "I am pleased to announce the third of four test releases for Fedora 7. This test release includes significant new versions of many key components and technologies. The following sections provide a brief overview of major changes from the last release of Fedora: the Fedora Core and Extras software repositories are being merged; this test release includes an i386 ISO for a desktop live CD, an x86_64 ISO for a desktop live image and a new i386 ISO for a KDE live CD; GNOME 2.18; a brand new Echo icon theme; fast user switching; 2.6.21rc5 based kernel..." Read the release announcement for further details. Download: F-6.92-i386-DVD.iso (2,979MB, SHA1), F-6.92-x86_64-DVD.iso (3,642MB, SHA1); also available via BitTorrent.

Jesse Keating has announced the second development release of Fedora 7: "I am pleased to announce the second test release for Fedora 7. This test release includes significant new versions of many key components and technologies. The Fedora Core and Extras software repositories are being merged, resulting in a shared infrastructure and a single repository of packages to which everyone is invited to contribute. Fedora 7 Test 2 is packaged initially as a Desktop / Development Workstation / Server implementation, called 'Prime'. This spin is delivered in DVD ISO format only as a trial. Many more packages are available in the development repositories." Read the release announcement and release notes for more information. Live and rescues CDs, as well as installation "Prime" DVDs are available for download via BitTorrent or from one of these mirror servers: F-6.91-i386-DVD.iso (3,041MB, SHA1), F-6.91-x86_64-DVD.iso (3,724MB, SHA1).

Jesse Keating has announced the availability of Fedora Desktop 7 Test 1, a 3-CD, GNOME-only variant of the first development build of Fedora 7: "Fedora 7 Test 1 has been released today. For this particular release, we only did a Desktop spin of the package collection. We are still fine tuning targeted spins of the collection as part of the merger of Core and Extras. We also produced a live CD that has the ability to install to your hard drive, should you wish." That's all we know about the release, since the release announcement gives away very little information and no release notes have been published. Interested beta testers should download the CD and DVD images from Fedora's torrent server or directly from these mirror sites: FD-6.90-i386-DVD.iso (1,948MB, SHA1), FD-6.90-x86_64-DVD.iso (2,133MB, SHA1).

David Zeuthen has announced the release of an official Fedora 6 live CD: "After lots of feedback, bug fixing and testing of the beta live CD announced 3 weeks ago, I'm pleased to announce the first official Fedora live CD. This live CD is based on packages from the Fedora Core 6 (code named 'Zod') and Fedora Extras package collections and is 100% free software. At a glance, the live CD features: Linux 2.6.18, GNOME 2.16 desktop environment, GStreamer 0.10 multimedia framework, X.Org 7.1, AIGLX and Compiz for 3D desktop, lots of applications including, but not limited to Beagle (desktop search), F-Spot (photo management), Evolution (email and calendering), Firefox (web browsing), Ekiga (IP telephony)...." Read the complete release announcement for additional details. Download via BitTorrent or directly from Red Hat's server: FC-6-i386-livecd-1.iso (683MB, SHA1).

The Fedora Unity project has announced the release of Fedora Core 6 "Live-Spins", a set of Fedora live CDs and DVDs for the i386 and x86_64 architectures: "The Fedora Unity Project is proud to announce the initial release of several Fedora Core 6 Live-Spin CD and DVD ISO images. These Live-Spins are based on the 24 October initial release of Fedora Core 6." The set consists of a GNOME live CD with GNOME 2.16.0 and related applications, a KDE live CD with KDE 3.5.4, a server live CD with Apache, MySQL, PHP and various server administration utilities, and a comprehensive live DVD with GNOME, KDE, XFce and a number of packages from the "extras" repository. For more details please see the release announcement. The CD and DVD images are available for download via BitTorrent only; quick links to the two DVD torrent files: FC-6-i386-LiveDVD-Unity-20061024 (3.33GB), FC-6-x86_64-LiveDVD-Unity-20061024 (3.51GB).

Fedora Core 6, code name "Zod", has been formally announced and officially released: "Tremble, Earthlings, for Zod is released from the confines of testing. Zod intends to hammer the servers of the world ... starting TODAY!" On a more serious note, Fedora Core 6 includes significant new versions of many key components and technologies, including improved look and feel for various international languages, the Compiz window manager, GNOME 2.16 and KDE 3.5.3 desktop environments, a refreshing new "DNA" theme, Dogtail - a graphical test and automation framework for the desktop, the GnuCash 2.0 accounting application, and many other enhancements. Please read the release announcement and release notes for further details. Download: FC-6-i386-DVD.iso (3,362MB, SHA1), FC-6-x86_64-DVD.iso (3,899MB, SHA1). The CD and DVD images are also available via BitTorrent.

Jeremy Katz has announced the third and final test release of Fedora Core 6: "The Fedora Project announces the third and final test release of the Fedora Core 6 development cycle. Notable Features of Fedora Core 6: support for installation from multiple repositories at install-time; GNOME 2.16.0; KDE 3.5.3; an improved look and feel for various non-English languages; new desktop eye candy provided by the Compiz window manager using AIGLX; notification of available software updates via notification bubbles; improved start-up performance of applications; improved speed of various package management utilities; further improvements in the Xen virtualization technology...." Read the release announcement and release notes for more details. The CD and DVD images for three architectures are available from these download mirrors and also via BitTorrent; quick links to the i386 and x86_64 DVD images: FC-6-Test3-i386-DVD.iso (3,339MB) or FC-6-Test3-x86_64-DVD.iso (3,861MB).

Robert Jensen has announced the availability of a new set of Fedora Core live CDs and DVDs. Called "Live-Spins" and created with a tool called Kadischi, the new Fedora live CD/DVD images allow users to test the distribution without having to install it to their hard disks. Fedora Unity has released the Live-Spins for both the current stable version (Fedora Core 5) and the latest development build (Fedora Core 6 Test 2). More information can be found in the release announcement. The live CD/DVD images can be downloaded via BitTorrent; here are quick links to the two live CD torrent files: FC-5-i386-LiveCD-Unity-20060821 (653MB), FC-6T2-i386-LiveCD-Unity-20060823.torrent (661MB). The new Fedora live CD and DVD images are only available for the i386 architecture.

Jesse Keating has announced the second test release of Fedora Core 6: "The Fedora Project announces the second release of the Fedora Core 6 development cycle, available for the i386, x86_64, and ppc/ppc64 architectures, including Intel based Macintosh computers." Among the notable features are the ability to install packages from additional yum repositories during system install, functional Java applet plugin for Firefox, new default font (DejaVu), and many package updates. For more information please see the release announcement and release notes. CD and DVD images for the three supported architectures are available from the Fedora Project's BitTorrent server, as well as from a number of download mirrors around the world.

Jesse Keating has announced the release of Fedora Core 6 Test1, the first in the series of development releases leading towards Fedora Core 6: "The Fedora Project announces the first release of the Fedora Core 6 development cycle. Notable features: support for the Intel-based Macintosh platform; ipv6 support in the installer; scim-bridge for improved i18n input; puplet applet for update notifications; new printing system; GNOME 2.15; KDE 3.5.3; 1600+ Extras packages conveniently available via yum." Read the rest of the release announcement for further details. The CD and DVD images for the three supported architectures are available for download from a number of Fedora mirrors, as well as from the FedoraProject's BitTorrent server; here is a quick link to the i386 DVD torrent: fc6-test1-dvd-i386 (3,128MB).

The eagerly anticipated Fedora Core 5, code name "Bordeaux", has been released: "The Fedora Project is pleased to announce the release of Fedora Core 5. New desktop applications, advances in security, better localization tools, improved software installation and management facilities and strong Java integration help to make Fedora Core 5 the most innovative Linux distribution ever." For more details please read the release announcement, release summary and release notes. The CD and DVD images for the three supported processor architectures are available from Fedora mirrors and also via BitTorrent; here is a quick link to the i386 DVD torrent file: bordeaux-DVD-i386 (3,103MB).

Fedora Core 5 Test 3 has been released: "The Fedora Project announces the third release of the Fedora Core 5 development cycle, available for the i386, x86_64, and PPC/PPC64 architectures. Notable features: Xen, now with x86_64; package selection within the installer has been reenabled; rebuilt again on later GCC 4.1 snapshot for performance and security; hibernate should be functional on a wide variety of hardware again; PPC install CDs are bootable once again; unified SRPM set instead of one per arch; lots of bug fixes from Test 2 release testing; 1600+ Extras packages conveniently available via yum." Read the rest of the release announcement for more details and download links. The ISO images are available for download from Fedora mirrors worldwide and also via BitTorrent.

The second test build of Fedora Core 5 has been released: "The Fedora Project announces the second release of the Fedora Core 5 development cycle, available for the i386, x86_64, and PPC/PPC64 architectures. Notable Features of FC5 Test2: new logo; package selection within the installer has been reenabled; based on GCC 4.1 for performance and security; GNOME 2.13.4; Pirut (pronounced like a pirate): Package Installer, Remover, Updater Tool; includes pup, the Package Updater Program...." Read the release announcement and release notes for further details. CD and DVD images of the release for three architectures are available for download from a number of Fedora mirrors or the BitTorrent server; here is a quick link to the DVD image for i386: FC5-test2-i386-DVD.iso (2,915MB, SHA1). While you are downloading, take the time to read this comprehensive review at Mad Penguin.

The development of Fedora Core 5 has finally begun: "The Fedora Project announces the first release of the Fedora Core 5 development cycle, available for the i386, x86_64, and PPC/PPC64 architectures. Beware that Test releases are recommended only for Linux experts/enthusiasts or for technology evaluation, as many parts are likely to be broken and the rate of change is rapid. Notable features of FC5 Test1: Modular X.Org; vastly improved Asian language input support with SCIM; kernel based on 2.6.15-rc1; GCC 4.0.2; GNOME 2.12; KDE 3.4.92; Xen 3.0 snapshot for i386; improved Open Source Java...." More details can be found in the release announcement and release notes. The 4 CD set for three architectures is available from Fedora mirrors or as BitTorrent files; here is a quick link to the i386 torrent: FC5-test1-binary-i386 (2,836MB).

The latest issue of Red Hat Magazine includes an interesting overview of the new Fedora Core 4, released earlier this week: "The GNOME 2.10 desktop has several new productivity boosting tools along with some changes in the behavior of how pop-up windows work. In previous versions of GNOME, when using instant messaging clients like GAIM, the moment a message appears, the window tends to steal focus from what you're currently typing or doing, showing you your instant message. This behavior is similar to clicking on a link in an e-mail and having Firefox pop-up in front of your e-mail message." Here is the full story with screenshots. Also in the same magazine: Fedora Extras: Everything but the kitchen sink and Fedora status report. Happy reading!

Fedora Core 4 is out: "Ladies and Gentlemen, you may have *thought* you were using the latest and greatest in open source software, but folks, today we have something really, really exciting for you. It purrs. It hums. It mesmerizes. It is ... FEDORA CORE FOUR. That's right, the premier open source operating system has just turned 4 -- four releases that is! But before we tell you how much this is going to cost, here are a few of the fabulous features: GNOME 2.10, OpenOffice.org 2.0 prerelease, Eclipse and a 100% open source Java stack, Fedora Extras, KDE 3.4, PPC. All of that, yes, all of that. But, wait!, before you reach for your wallet, you should hear about a few more of Fedora Core 4's fabulous features...." Here is the full release announcement and, for the more serious types, also the release notes. The ISO images can be obtained via BitTorrent or from a number of download mirrors; here are some quick links to the DVD ISO images for the three architectures: FC4-i386-DVD.iso (2,623MB, SHA1), FC4-ppc-DVD.iso (2,948MB, SHA1), FC4-x86_64-DVD.iso (2,797MB, SHA1).

Mad Penguin has checked out the progress of Fedora Core 4, currently in the final stages of development: "To me, this release is looking like it's going to be pretty speedy. From what I've witnessed so far, it runs much better than any previous Fedora releases... much more responsive. As far as I'm aware, Fedora Core 4 will be the first distribution to be compiled with the new GCC 4.0 compiler, which was released on April 20th. This release is touted to produce much cleaner and faster code than its predecessor, GCC 3.4.3. It's true that Fedora Core 4 test 2 does feel faster, or at least that was my experience, but can it be attributed to the updated GCC? That I'm not entirely sure of, but I'd say it's entirely possible." Read the rest of the review with screenshots.

The third and final development release of Fedora Core 4 is now available for download and testing: "The Fedora Project would like to announce the release of Fedora Core 4 test 3; currently scheduled to be the final test release before Fedora Core 4. Included in this release are many various bugfixes, updated translations, and package updates. Please report problems at bugzilla. File bugs against product 'Fedora Core', release 'fc4test3'." Read the release announcement and release notes for further information. Installation CD and DVD images can be download from the Fedora mirror servers or via BitTorrent; here are the usual quick links to DVD ISO images for the three architectures: FC4-test3-i386-DVD.iso (2,611MB), FC4-test3-x86_64-DVD.iso (2,823MB), FC4-test3-ppc-DVD.iso (2,900MB).

LinuxPlanet has published a review of Fedora Core 4 Test2: "As a test release, Fedora Core 4 Test 2 shows just how good FC4 will be when it's officially releases. Should you punt FC3 and upgrade? Frankly, not on your primary system unless you don't need the guarantees of an official, complete release. Aside from various minor problems, the only problems I encountered that I felt were extremely serious were those in updating the the system. Fedora has some great mailing lists and forums where early adopters can get assistance from Fedora's huge community of friendly, knowledgeable devotees. It's easy to see why Fedora Core is a popular distribution, and FC4 should be great when it gets here! I'm going to wait for the official release before I upgrade my FC3 system - but I'll definitely try the next test release or release candidate on one of my scratch boxes." Here is the full review with a few screenshots.

The second test release of Fedora Core 4 is now available for download and testing: "Designed as a general purpose operating system for a variety of uses, Fedora Core 4 Test 2 offers various improvements over Fedora Core 3. People who have used Test 1 will notice the following improvements: GNOME updated to 2.10 final; KDE updated to 3.4.0 final; Firefox updated to 1.0.2; OpenOffice.org update to 1.9.89; and many various bugfixes... Fedora Core 4 Test 2 is available for x86, x86_64, and PPC architectures." Here is the full announcement. The ISO images are available via BitTorrent or from the Fedora mirrors. Quick links to DVD ISO images for the three architectures: FC4-test2-i386-DVD.iso (2,535MB), FC4-test2-x86_64-DVD.iso (2,756MB), FC4-test2-ppc-DVD.iso (2,830MB).

Jeremy LaCroix, a 22-year-old technology worker in the credit card industry, has published a very positive review of Fedora Core 3 on NewsForge: "I have been using Linux since Red Hat 7.x back in 2000. I have tried Lycoris, Debian, KNOPPIX, Ubuntu, Mandrake, SUSE, and other distributions, but I've always found myself coming back to Red Hat. When Red Hat stopped development of its free operating system, I was disappointed, but I ended up liking the Fedora Core series, including the latest FC3, even better. Why do I like it so much?" Read the article "My Workstation OS: Fedora Core 3" here.

The first test release of Fedora Core is now available for download and testing: "It's time for the first test release in the Fedora Core 4 development cycle. FC4test1 is available for i386, x86_64, and (for the first time) PPC/PPC64! Notable features of FC4test1 include: GCC 4.0 as the primary system compiler; GNOME 2.10.0 Beta 2 included; the Eclipse IDE included along with some featured plugins; a solid foundation of Java packages for developers (ant, gcj, tomcat, struts, more classpath stuff) and the ability to possibly run Java applications through gij; lots of package updates; started movement of packages to Fedora Extras; did I mention PowerPC support?" Here is the full release announcement. The ISO images are available via BitTorrent or from one of the Fedora mirrors. Quick links to DVD ISO images for the three architectures: FC4-test1-i386-DVD.iso (2,576MB), FC4-test1-x86_64-DVD.iso (2,796MB), FC4-test1-ppc-DVD.iso (2,853MB).

A test release of Fedora Core 3 for PowerPC systems has been announced: "The Fedora Project is proud to announce a TESTING tree for Fedora Core 3 on the PowerPC platforms. Some notes about the release: the release is known to not boot on G5s, and we are working on re-building another tree, which we can push out soon. Sleep support for the G4 iBooks and Powerbooks isn't implemented upstream yet, but there are testing kernels available in RPM form. To install the release, you need boot.iso from the os/images/ directory (use mac/pseries appropriately) as well as at least CD1 (disc 1 is not blessed). When booting the boot.iso CD, hold down the 'C' key, and use the 'linux askmethod' option." The release announcement. Download: FC3-re1115.0-ppc-disc1-ftp.iso (633MB), FC3-re1115.0-ppc-disc2-ftp.iso (635MB), FC3-re1115.0-ppc-disc3-ftp.iso (636MB), FC3-re1115.0-ppc-disc4-ftp.iso (645MB).

NewsForge has published a review of Fedora Core 3: "If I were a movie reviewer, I would give FC3 a thumbs-up. It is a solid release with few problems, and most of those are specific to certain hardware. Its ease of installation and package management system make it an excellent choice for newbies who want to learn Linux without the horrendous learning curve associated with having to compile everything yourself. Its functional SELinux component is a powerful incentive to install it just to learn what will certainly become a standard in the near future. Indeed, SELinux alone probably takes FC3 to a whole new level." The full story.

The second test release of the upcoming Fedora Core 3 is now available: "Coming soon to a site near you... for the first time, it's the new, digitally remastered, Fedora Core 3 Test 2! Now, you can take home this never before seen four-disc set, chock full of new software and exciting bonus features! Includes hundreds of new and updated packages over the original edition, including: a minor change to the device model, switching from a static /dev to a dynamic /dev provided by udev; SELinux enablement; the GNOME 2.8 release candidate; KDE 3.3.0; X.org X11 6.8.0. Please report problems at bugzilla." The announcement, release notes (i386). Download (i386): FC3-test2-i386-disc1.iso (638MB), FC3-test2-i386-disc2.iso (635MB), FC3-test2-i386-disc3.iso (637MB), FC3-test2-i386-disc4.iso (384MB). ISO images for the x86_64 architecture and BitTorrent trackers are also available.

A Linux and open-source software consultant has published a review of Fedora Core 2 on DesktopLinux.com: "For the Linux veterans, it's one of the last "free" distributions of GNU/Linux. In spite of its description as a technology proving ground, Fedora II provides Linux users with a good Linux desktop experience. Some analysts have described it as a beta product -- a description with which I disagree. With enterprise level administration tools, policy based lock downs and an in-house update service, Fedora II could occupy a place in the enterprise." Read Tom Adelstein's product review of Fedora Linux Core II with screenshots here.

Fedora Core 3 Test 1 has been released on schedule. It comes up with the following changes: gcc 3.4, GNOME 2.8, KDE 3.3, SELinux, IIIMF, Indic language support, and various desktop-related features. The full announcement and the release notes for i386 and x86_64. The ISO images are available both via traditional HTTP/FTP and BitTorrent. Problems with Fedora Core 3 test 1 should be reported via bugzilla.

Mad Penguin has put Fedora Core 2 through a thorough test and this is their conclusion: "Fedora Core 2 is an excellent distribution, which is easy to use, fast, stable and professional. Once you get it installed you'll be impressed with how well the system works and performs, thanks largely to the new 2.6 kernel. At the same time you'll also have a desktop experience which doesn't try and patronise you, instead it focuses on letting you get your work done with the best applications for the job such as OpenOffice.org and Evolution. A growing user community also helps to boost this experience, together with a completely GPL license and no cost of purchase as with SUSE 9.1 and Mandrake 10." The full review with screenshots.

Fedora Core has been out for almost 2 weeks and the first reviews, both good and bad, start trickling in. PCWorld: "Fedora's marriage of kernel 2.6 and Gnome 2.6 makes for a very responsive system that's a pleasure to use." Linux.com: "It's an important step in the evolution of Linux, and I'm glad it's here to experiment with, but I won't be using it for production work anytime soon." OSNews: "Now that I have used Fedora for three days, I am really quite happy with it. The whole system feels snappy, all my regular programs work." LWN: "There is a bug in Fedora Core 2 that causes the hard disk geometry as reported in the partition table to be altered during installation. This change may cause Windows boot failure." OSDir: "While getting a giddy installing Fedora Core 2 on a Sunday afternoon I found this little gem.... Fedora 2 can run on your Macintosh." Happy reading!

Although the official announcement is not expected until Tuesday, 18 May, several news sites have reported the availability of Fedora Core 2 via BitTorrent. This is from Slashdot: "You can grab [Fedora Core 2] in both the 4 CD or DVD versions." The code name of Fedora Core 2 is reportedly "Tettnang" and, since this is a major new release eagerly anticipated by many users, we have taken the liberty to publish the Fedora Core 2 Release Notes on this web site (just to give you something to read while the long download completes). Enjoy your Tettnang, which, by the way, is a town and a major hop growing area in Germany :-)

The second test release of Fedora Core 2 is now available. From the release notes: "The goal of this test release of Fedora Core is to concentrate tester efforts on specific parts of the distribution. To that end, please make testing of the following components a priority. SELinux support is now included and enabled by default. In the installer, you can choose to have SELinux in active mode, to have SELinux warn only, or to disable SELinux. This option is present in the firewall configuration screen. In this release, XFree86 has been replaced by a new X11 distribution provided by X.Org. The new X.Org package is based on a prerelease snapshot of XFree86 4.4, and should be seamlessly compatible with XFree86." Read the full release notes and the poetic announcement for more information. Download: FC2-test2-i386-disc1.iso (634MB), FC2-test2-i386-disc2.iso (635MB), FC2-test2-i386-disc3.iso (635MB), FC2-test2-i386-disc4.iso (172MB); also available via BitTorrent.

Flexbeta has published an excellent guide to Fedora Core's use as a desktop system: "This article is intended on helping those that are interested in either switching to Linux or are curious as to what Linux has to offer. I will try to cover the basic components of a desktop and how Fedora can perform these basic tasks. We will cover the installation part of Fedora, to playing music, surfing the web and chatting. A bit of info on what Fedora is... 'The Fedora Project is a Red-Hat-sponsored and community-supported open source project. The Fedora project is a merger between Red Hat Linux and Fedora Linux.'" The 6-page story with many screenshots starts here.

eWeek has published a brief review of Fedora Core 2, currently in early development: "Fedora Core 2 is a good general-purpose distribution. It's a particularly good fit for desktop use, in large part because of the wide variety of software that comes precompiled and packaged for Fedora. What's more, Fedora's fast development clip keeps the distribution outfitted with the latest and greatest software." The full story.

The Star of Malaysia has published a review of the Fedora Project: "I feel that Fedora is more a change of concept and mindset for Red Hat users and developers rather than being merely a Linux distribution. This new structure helps ensure that improvements are churned out a lot faster as Red Hat doesn't have to deal with the headache of solely finding the solution for every user's problems and can concentrate on making the best possible software. Although Red Hat doesn't offer support for it, this doesn't mean there isn't any help. From personal experience, I think it's safe to say that the community backing Fedora is great and as helpful, if not more so, than Red Hat." The full story.

LXer has published a brief review of the first beta of Fedora Core 2, released last week: "When Red Hat announced that it was dropping its free Red Hat Linux and replacing it with Fedora Core, most people in the community wondered about the future of the distribution world. Fedora Core 1 surprised and delighted almost everyone with whom I have spoken, and Fedora Core 2 test 1 seems to demonstrate that they are committed to providing another top-notch free distribution. Bravo, Red Hat!" The full review.

LinuxBeginner has spent one week using Fedora Core 1 and these are the author's conclusions: "Even though I had some trouble getting the installer to start up, Fedora looks sharp right from the starting gate. I think Fedora Core 1 would be an excellent distribution for someone who won't be likely to deviate from their defaults too much. Having to go to 3rd parties to get packages for very popular software is a big minus for me. In my opinion, that's what you use a distribution for, and I consider anything less as incomplete. ... I look forward to further Fedora releases, they have a good base to improve upon." The full story with screenshots.

A new Fedora community web site has been launched at FedoraNEWS.ORG: "FedoraNEWS.ORG is a non-commercial, non-profit organization to serve Fedora Community with useful and helpful information. It is not sponsored by Red Hat but privately funded by Linux enthusiasts like you. The goal of FedoraNEWS.ORG is to create a public community news information site for Fedora Users." FedoraNEWS.ORG, together with FedoraMAIL.ORG was launched by the former developer of the LinuxInstall.org distribution. On a related note, a new Fedora community site for Spanish users, Grupo Fedora en EspaÃ±ol, was also recently unveiled.

eWEEK has reviewed Fedora Core 1 and this is the author's conclusion: "Overall we like Fedora, but have some reservations. The application install/remove tool problems absolutely must be fixed. We could not recommend this distro to a Linux newbie until that problem was resolved. The lack of MP3/DVD play might also be an issue for some users. Unless you're a tinkerer (and what real Linux geek isn't?), it might make more sense to just wait until the next release and see if the bugs have all been worked out. Once some of the current bugs are fixed, Fedora could be considered for use on the corporate desktop. It already provides a rich array of functionality and comes with lots of excellent software such as OpenOffice, Evolution and GAIM." The 4-page review starts here.

OSNews has reviewed Fedora Core 1 and, as the title suggests, the reviewer is not overly impressed: "There is not a chance that I would use Fedora as my main OS at this point. It's got as many bugs as Swiss cheese has holes, multimedia performance (at least with XMMS) and included multimedia feature-set is below par, application installation is a major pain in the rear, and there is no official support anymore for the bugs encountered throughout the experience. If this distro is just serving as a testbed for Red Hat's ideas to see if they work and then move them to their Enterprise product, it just means that Fedora will always be in beta state, whether or not they announce them as final or not." Read the full review.

LinuxElectrons has published a review of the recently released Fedora Core 1: "The Linux community will benefit tremendously from Fedora. With Red Hat's expertise and knowledge combined with a strong community we should expect nothing less than a high performance desktop. So far, this has been the case. IMHO, this is the perfect strategy for Red Hat. They have been battling two extremes, the corporate server market versus the bleeding edge desktop users at retail. These two camps are at odds with one another, corporate wanting slow gradual changes and retail wanting the bleeding edge feature set. Fedora is the ultimate compromise and one community in which I'm a willing participant." The full review with many screenshots.

OSNews is the first with a review of Fedora Core 1: "I can summarise my experience with Fedora as being a mixed bag of emotions, in some cases it surprises pleasantly (resolution changing for one, and the half-gui boot up) but in other cases there is nothing obviously apparent about this release that hits you in the face with that WOW factor (GNOME looks essentially the same as it did since Red Hat 8.0 came out more or less). Yes there is the ability for up2date to use Yum and APT repositories but for users unfamiliar with that technology then is that really something to go 'hey look what this can do?'" The 3-page review starts here.

LinuxElectrons has reviewed the latest release of Red Hat's Fedora, Test 3: "The Linux community will benefit tremendously from Fedora. With Red Hat's expertise and knowledge combined with a strong community we should expect nothing less than a high performance desktop. So far, this has been the case. IMHO, this is the perfect strategy for Red Hat. They have been battling two extremes, the corporate server market versus the bleeding edge desktop users at retail. These two camps are at odds with one another, corporate wanting slow gradual changes and retail wanting the bleeding edge feature set. Fedora is the ultimate compromise and one community in which I'm a willing participant." The full review with screenshots.

Red Hat has released a new beta version of Fedora Core, test3, code name "Severn": "Yes, it's another update of the Fedora Core test release, SEVERN. Problems with SEVERN should be reported via bugzilla." Unfortunately, with the exception of the very brief announcement, there is little information available about the release, either on the Fedora web site, which has yet to be updated, or on the FTP mirrors, which lack the usual README and RELEASE-NOTES files, "casualty of the redhat-release -> fedora-release name change", according to this mailing list post. The good news is that they should return with the next release: "It's a known issue, unfortunately discovered early this morning (after the mirrors had already started doing their thing). These files will return in subsequent releases..." So the release notes are missing but the ISO images can be downloaded from here: severn-i386-disc1.iso (636MB), severn-i386-disc2.iso (638MB), severn-i386-disc3.iso (633MB), or via BitTorrent. Existing installations can be upgraded with up2date.

This is a very nice article reviewing the new Fedora Linux with many useful tips to get most out of it, all courtesy of JohnMunsch.com: "If you aren't already familiar with installing consumer Linux distributions like Red Hat 9.0 the installation of Fedora Core may take you by surprise. It's graphical, it's simple (at least as simple as installing any recent Windows release), and the final result is graphical, user friendly in lots of areas, and often quite attractive. It's not perfect yet, but it's hard not to think that by the time Microsoft gets around to releasing Longhorn (their codename for the next Windows version) in the 2005-2006 timeframe that Linux will have done a lot of catching up." The full story with plenty of screenshots.

A first beta release of the newly established Fedora Project (formerly Red Hat Linux) is now available. Some interesting items in the release notes include: "The Red Hat Update Agent (up2date) now supports installing packages from apt and yum repositories as well as local directories. This includes dependency solving and obsoletes handling. Additional repositories can be configured in the /etc/sysconfig/rhn/sources file. Fedora Core 0.94 includes Postfix 2.0. If you are upgrading from Red Hat Linux 9 or earlier and were using Postfix 1.x, you should review your Postfix configuration for compatibility with the newer version." Fedora Core 0.94 is the second beta of what was to be a new version of Red Hat Linux; visit the Fedora Project site for further information. The ISO images are available from the many Red Hat mirrors or via BitTorrent. Quick download links: severn-i386-disc1.iso (628MB), severn-i386-disc2.iso (638MB), severn-i386-disc3.iso (604MB).

The much awaited announcement by Red Hat about the future of its Linux distribution is out. The name is Fedora Project: "The goal of The Fedora Project is to work with the Linux community to build a complete, general purpose operating system exclusively from free software. Development will be done in a public forum. The project will produce time-based releases of Fedora Core about 2-3 times a year with a public release schedule. The Red Hat engineering team will continue to participate in the building of Fedora Core and will invite and encourage more outside participation than was possible in Red Hat Linux. By using this more open process, we hope to provide an operating system that uses free software development practices and is more appealing to the open source community. To learn more about the process, refer to About, the Objectives, and the FAQs." Read more...